I was just browsing eBay and noticed this fake auto! It is even graded from BGS! NO WAY this is Heyward's auto. I have at least 1 of every one of his rookie autos and none of them look anything like this one.

What I think happened is that Topps put the wrong sticker on this card. Anyone have any idea who signed this? It doesn't look anything like Heywards auto at all. I can't believe that it is graded! Obviously BGS didn't even look at the auto to verify that it is legit because it isn't. This worries me.

Here is the pic:
[IMG][IMG]http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j10/ericg581/FakeHeywardAuto.jpg[/IMG][/IMG]

I sent the seller an email, this just isn't right. Someone might buy that card without looking too closely just because its BGS graded and they may not notice the auto is all wrong. Even worse that BGS graded it.

I have the same card, the 2007 Bowman Sterling Refractor 109/199 and the one on eBay is #105/199 so only 4 cards between mine and his were made and my auto is 100% right.

Here is mine, #109/199 scan isn't that great but the auto is visible:
[IMG][IMG]http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j10/ericg581/Jason%20Heyward%20Auto%20RC%20and%20PC%20Baseball%20Collection/2007BowmanSterlingRefractorAutoRcHeyward199.jpg[/IMG][/IMG]

All the other ones on eBay are right too. I can't imagine that Topps put the wrong sticker on just 1 card. Sometimes people try to touch up autos, but this is clearly a different guys signature on this card.

This just goes to show you, be CAREFUL even when buying graded cards!

ericg531

11-06-2012 04:24 AM

The only thing that really sticks out about my Refractor card (#109/199) is that the ink on the auto is lighter than my regular Bowman Sterling Heyward auto card. It isn't faded or have streaks, its just light compared to my regular card. It looks like Heyward would need a new marker soon in my #109/199 card but honestly the scan isn't that great on that one. I kept it in the magnetic case for the scan because I just scan all my PC cards to keep a bucket with my collection and you can see all the scratches and the card itself is a little blurry.

I've thought about grading my Refractor, but I don't know if the light auto would get a 10. I've always been curious about that. You can't really see what I mean in my scan either, its just a lighter shade of blue.

Now my conclusion about this card on eBay with Joe Saverys auto is one of these:

A) Topps made a mistake and threw a Joe Savery auto sticker on the Heyward card (#105/199) OR

B) The original auto on the card WAS the real Heyward sticker auto and the guy wanted to get it graded but noticed that the auto was too light and fearing a low grade on the auto he slapped a Joe Savery auto sticker on the card. It is possible to pull this off, and "Joe" starting with a "J" could pass off as "Jason". This Joe Savery auto looks pretty similar to they way Heyward signs his stuff now. His signature has changed a good bit since he started signing so much. Maybe the guy got the card graded recently and the signature isn't that far off from Joe Savery!

Here is an example of how Jason Heyward signs his signature now:
[IMG][IMG]http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j10/ericg581/Jason%20Heyward%20Auto%20RC%20and%20PC%20Baseball%20Collection/2011GypsyHeywardAutoRelic.jpg[/IMG][/IMG]

The last scan there is another example of scanning my cards in a magnetic case that is scratched up but you can see the auto is very similar to the Joe Savery auto that is on the Heyward eBay card. NOT MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE FROM SAVERY'S AUTO AT ALL!

I hope this guy isn't doing this on purpose, fooling Beckett and trying to fool someone else on eBay for the sake of making money....its a shame. Guess we'll see how he responds to my email calling the auto out as 100% totally wrong and belonging to Joe Savery.

I think the thing I am MOST concerned with about this whole situation is BGS graded this thing and it slipped right past them. Be weary when buying all cards, graded cards are sometimes fake or wrong as well it seems!

ericg531

11-06-2012 04:51 AM

[QUOTE=Copeskey45;3597192]Why did you post basically the same statement twice within 3 hours?[/QUOTE]

I'm researching something. Why would you post on my thread asking such a pointless question? If you have nothing to contribute hush up then.

There is a fake or wrong auto for sale on eBay usually people like to know things like that.

Maybe I'll make the statement again, because it clearly ticks you off bad enough to make you post in my thread. So what, are you sitting there counting how many times I state something? Really? Some people watch paint dry when bored, and you....you keep tabs on how many times people state things. Awesome.

Seriously I am just researching this auto that BGS gave a pretty nice grade to (9.5 card/10 auto) and the auto doesn't match the card at all. My card was made 4 cards after this impostor card that is for sale on eBay right now, and mine has a correct auto sticker.

This community is great because people call out the fakes/frauds and I have blocked a WHOLE LOT of bad eBayers from the people who have had problems on this website. Blowout forums is a great resource. I've made a trade off here for a pretty sweet card and I use this resource as much as I can. This is the first time that I have found a graded card that isn't signed by who the card should've been signed by is all, and I want to get the news out there so that little Bobby Blowoutmember doesn't go wasting over $200 on a card that isn't legit.

Copeskey45

11-06-2012 05:22 AM

You make 2 interesting points about the sticker. Have you tried contacting the seller and ask him what's up with the card? Maybe, and that's a HUGE maybe, he didn't realize it wasn't Heywards auto.

I guess I gotta stop giving the benefit of the doubt to people these days.

mfisher27

11-06-2012 06:34 AM

It's just an error on topps. Also, it was not made 4 cards after yours or whatever you said. He signed a sheet of stickers, so the serial numbers don't matter. They just have had a wrong sticker in the stack when they were making them. I don't think anyone true to pull a fast one on BGS. This isn't the only time they've messed up. They once graded a facsimile autograph on a card.

Keyser Soze

11-06-2012 07:36 AM

That isn't the only card on eBay with mismatched Heyward auto stickers

Well that really puts the icing on the top for me. I didn't like BGS graded cards cause I have always thought they just put a # on the plate. Boy does this REALLY put the proof in that. Sad what peeps will do for a buck these days.

VWBUS1978

11-06-2012 08:00 AM

to be fair to the seller, i am sure he does not know it is fake. heyward did have a lazy sig for a while, and it could easily be mistaken.

Steve2112

11-06-2012 09:08 AM

Heyward must be an "un-Savery" character... ;)

220sports

11-06-2012 09:21 AM

Yeah.. Not so sure it's "Fake", just an error on Topps part. Everyone tries to be a detective and be the first to point something out on these boards. It's rather amusing!

dbackschamp2001

11-06-2012 10:12 AM

I wonder if there's a Joe Savery card somewhere with a Jason Heyward auto. That would be an interesting card for the Savery card that is traveling the world to meet.

ericg531

11-06-2012 10:44 AM

[QUOTE=Copeskey45;3597216]You make 2 interesting points about the sticker. Have you tried contacting the seller and ask him what's up with the card? Maybe, and that's a HUGE maybe, he didn't realize it wasn't Heywards auto.

I guess I gotta stop giving the benefit of the doubt to people these days.[/QUOTE]

I contacted the seller and gave him a heads up. We'll see what happens. I'd be seriously pee'od if I paid $200 for a BGS graded card that wasn't really authentic. The card is pretty much worthless except maybe to an error collector. I have a few Heyward error cards but I wouldn't want a swapped out auto that isn't even his.

Who knows what happened, I just find it curious that I have the card made 4 after his and it is fine other than the light signature. It is a whole different shade of blue compared to my base card.

It is just questionable until the seller explains either way, usually the only 'fake' Heyward auto on eBay is the AFLAC! I studied that card for months before I bought mine, it is strange because they were kept in the Topps Vault without sleeves apparently because the ones with little chips of the marker missing are most likely the real ones due to how they were stored. Little chips stuck to the cards on top of each other and when they peeled the cards apart some flakes were transferred to the top card.

Mine has 2 tiny flakes of the auto missing that happened like this. Also you have to look at the overall signature, some AFLAC cards are horribly fake. I checked them out on eBay once and 4 out of 6 cards for sale were 100% fake. A lot of J-Hey collectors won't even touch that one, but I just educated myself and looked at lots and lots of examples to find what the most common characteristics of the real ones were.

Also I'm sure they have a sheet of stickers and peel them off in a certain order they just don't pick them from wherever. It is mighty odd that the card they slapped a sticker on 4 cards before mine got a wrong sticker, that is a pretty big error to make. BGS made the even bigger error of grading it.

So if a card says "Topps Certified Autograph Issue" then BGS doesn't even look at the auto which is clearly way off and doesn't match anything Heyward ever signed? They just put blind faith in Topps that the auto is the right one? Very questionable.

ericg531

11-06-2012 10:46 AM

[QUOTE=220sports;3597494]Yeah.. Not so sure it's "Fake", just an error on Topps part. Everyone tries to be a detective and be the first to point something out on these boards. It's rather amusing![/QUOTE]

Seriously man, why the flame? I'm doing all of us Heyward collectors a favor pointing out a false auto that BGS graded as authentic.

I'm not attacking anyone or doing anything wrong. I'm trying to save someone $200. Funny how when a fake Harper or Trout auto hits eBay everyone is on the same side about how dirty the seller is and everyone praises the guy who pointed it out, I don't want praise I just want people to be weary of BGS graded sticker autos because they may be wrong.

220sports

11-06-2012 11:24 AM

Not flaming you just think it's amusing that you accuse the seller of selling a 'Fake" Heyward card. If it were fake, it would still have Heywards auto, just not done by Heyward himself. This is clearly an error on Topps part and I'm sure that's why BGS graded the card. So if you a "collector" of rare Heyward cards, this should be right up your alley!

220sports

11-06-2012 11:26 AM

[QUOTE=ericg531;3597739]Seriously man, why the flame? I'm doing all of us Heyward collectors a favor pointing out a false auto that BGS graded as authentic.

I'm not attacking anyone or doing anything wrong. [B]I'm trying to save someone $200.[/B] Funny how when a fake Harper or Trout auto hits eBay everyone is on the same side about how dirty the seller is and everyone praises the guy who pointed it out, I don't want praise I just want people to be weary of BGS graded sticker autos because they may be wrong.[/QUOTE]

And Heyward isn't as hot as he once was so I'm sure no one is going out on a limb and spending $200 on this card. Anyone who does buy this I'm sure knows a little bit about Heyward and his autographs. Just my 2 cents!

XL5

11-06-2012 11:31 AM

If it is the same card that left Topps production facility, it's not a "fake." It's an error and to a Heyward (or Savery) collector it might have some value.

What I learned in this thread:
fert360 really knows Joe Savery's auto.

XL5

11-06-2012 11:32 AM

By the way, the seller totally changed the auction linked in the OP, it's now for a card lot.

Interesting! I personally think that is was just a mistake by Topps instead of the seller switching the auto but who knows for sure, right? Luckily I haven't had this problem with my Griffey autos but his autos really don't look like anybody else's! This could even make that card worth more now that it can be considered an error card! Could be a win win in the end!